Battery compound.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

HENRY BLUMENBERG, JR, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

BATTERY COMPOUND.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 638,041, dated November28, 1899.

Application filed July 20, 1899. $erial No. 724,444. (No specimens.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY BLUMENBERG, Jr., a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at New York city, (Wakefie1d,) in the borough of Bronx,State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Battery Compounds, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in compounds for batterysolutions and to that class of solutions containing ammonium chlorid.This material is at the present time extensively used for open-circuitcells. With this material objections or difficulties arise, becausedetrimental incrustations are frequently formed of oxychlorid of zinc onboth the carbon and zinc poles, therebyincreasing the internalresistance and eventually making the cellpractically useless. I havefound that this difiiculty can be prevented to a greater or less extentby adding to the ammonium chlorid a solution of the bisulfates of themetals of the alkalies or alkali-earth metals. The advantage of thisimprovement can be easily seen in keeping the electrodes practicallyfree from such coating or incrustation. My invention therefore relatesto the addition of a salt containing an acid, preferably sulfuric acid,the salt being any Well known bisulfate of the metals of the alkalies oralkali-earth metals, and in this improvement I bring into action thesulfuric acid contained in the bisulfate of the metals of the alkaliesor alkali-earth metals.

The exact proportions do not need to be adhered to for the reason thatsal-an moniac (ammonium chlorid) in itself will for a period of time ifconcentrated dissolve considerable quantities of oxychlorid of zinc; butwhen the point is reached that it ceases to act then the materials of myimprovement will act, as heretofore set forth.

In order to prolong the life of the battery compound and to prevent atoo-violent action, I sometimes add aluminium tersulfate. This aluminiumsalt should only be added to the extent of the solubility of the ammoniaalum which is formed when the aluminium tersulfate is added to theammonium chlorid; but I do not limit myself to the useof this material.

I do not restrict myself to the sulfate of aluminium in a pure andsimple condition,

as I am well aware that the alums may in some cases replace it. Thesulfuric-acid radical is in excess in all of the compounds and tends tokeep the electrodes clear and free from incrustation.

The materials will usually be mixed dry in the proper proportion, so asto simply req uire the addition of water.

I claim as my invention- 1. A battery compound of ammonium chlorid and abisulfate of the metals of the alkalies or alkali-earth metals,substantially as set forth. i

2. A battery compound of ammonium chlorid and a bisulfate of the metalsof the alkalies or alkali-earth metals and aluminium tersulfate,substantially as set forth.

Signed by me this 17th day of July, 1899.

HENRY BLUMENBERG, JR.

Witnesses:

Gno. T. PINOKNEY, ELLA E. Forms.

